The booming online trade has received an unexpected boost from Corona.
But stationary retail is facing huge challenges.
Even with large chains, the pressure is growing.
Düsseldorf - The perfumery chain
Douglas
is apparently planning deep cuts in its branch network in Germany and Europe in view of the booming online trade.
According to a report by Manager Magazin,
Douglas
plans to close more than 40 of its 430 branches in Germany.
Several hundred of the approximately 5000 employees would have to go.
In Europe, up to 500 of the total of 2,400 locations are about to be shut down.
According to the
Lebensmittel Zeitung
, “more than 500 branches” could even be deleted.
A company spokeswoman did not want to comment on the reports.
Douglas
boss
Tina Müller
had already pointed out the changed customer demand last summer.
There is a “trend away from stationary shopping towards online shopping.
We have to take this structural change into account by revising the branch network ”.
At that time, the group boss left no doubt that not all of the 2,400 stores would survive the "overhaul" of the branch network.
But she emphasized: "Germany will tend to be less affected by store closures than southern Europe."
Douglas: Particularly in Italy and Spain there is a risk of deep cuts
According to Manager Magazin, branches in
Italy
and
Spain
in particular are
affected by the plans.
As
a result of acquisitions
,
Douglas
operates
a network there with a large number of small shops.
The branch network in Germany, on the other hand, will probably not be affected as much as originally feared.
Müller caused outrage across the country last December after she quickly converted some perfumeries into drugstores at the beginning of the second lockdown in order to bypass the closings ordered in retail.
In view of the fierce criticism, however, Müller hastily rowed back.
Due to the triumphant advance of online shopping and the
corona
pandemic, numerous retail chains have come under pressure in recent months.
The textile retailer
Adler Modemärkte,
for
example, only had to
file for bankruptcy a
week ago
.
The department store chain
Karstadt Galeria Kaufhof had
previously
slipped
into bankruptcy.
After a comprehensive reorganization, the Essen District Court lifted the bankruptcy proceedings at the end of September.